RUSH HOUR: Surprising discovery on plane ticket

Police have asked the public to help identify a man who allegedly assaulted a mentally disabled man a train station in Sydney's south.

The man reportedly assaulted a 40-year-old man, who has a mental disability, following a verbal altercation at Caringbah train station on June 29.

The victim was allegedly pushed over onto stair and punched in the face and upper body, with the attacker leaving the area with a female.

Police have released images of a man they believe may be able to assist with their inquiries.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

8:10am

Teens charged over armed robbery spree

A group of teenagers, including two 13-year-olds, have been arrested in relation to a string of armed robberies and car theft in inner Sydney.

The group is believed to be behind a series of armed robberies in Zetland, Waterloo, Chippendale, Stanmore and Leichardt this week, and a car theft in Dulwich Hill.

According to police, some of the victims of the robberies were injured after the perpetrators produced a knife.

Officers tracked the stolen vehicle to an East Hills address in southwest Sydney on Tuesday and arrested a 13-year-old girl and three boys, aged 13, 14 and 16.

The 16-year-old boy was taken to hospital under police guard after he was injured while trying to escape authorities.

The rest were charged with stealing a car and five counts of armed robbery with an offensive weapon. The 14-year-old boy was also charged with failing to stop during a police pursuit and dangerous driving.

They are due to appear in children's court today.

7:45am

Controversy over Billy Slater decision

Billy Slater is free to take his place in the Melbourne Storm's grand final side, his farewell game in the NRL.

Slater escaped a shoulder charge citation after a judiciary hearing which took just under three hours - and almost 50 minutes of deliberation.

The decision is causing huge division in the NRL, with many furious at Slater's not guilty verdict for an attempted try-saving hit on Sosaia Feki.

Daily Telegraph journalist and NRL 360 host Paul Kent said the decision set a dangerous precedent.

"This now goes into the game as a precedent as a not guilty decision," Kent said.

"Next year when there are similar instances to this, there will be other people around the game championing that decision saying they got it right, but from now on, as we go forward, this is a legal tackle in the game."

The brother of the late James Ackerman, who was tragically killed while playing rugby league for the Sunshine Coast three years ago as the result of a shoulder charge, labelled the decision an insult.

A multi-vehicle crash in Sydney's north is causing major delays for motorists this morning.

Southbound traffic is queued up for around 6km on the Warringah Freeway at Mount St, with two southbound lanes shut down earlier due to the incident.

One of the lanes has now reopened but one of three southbound lanes remains closed and people are being told to allow for plenty of extra travel time.

6:55am

Smoking ban for North Sydney

Smokers in North Sydney may soon be banned from lighting up in the city's second-largest CBD in what may be a national-first smoking ban.

The council passed a motion to ban smoking in every public space in North Sydney.

It motion still needs the approval of the community but Mayor Jilly Gibson is confident it will be backed by residents.

She even hopes to eventually make North Sydney the first smoke-free municipality.

"Why not try these big ideas?" Ms Gibson told AAP.

"Even if we reduce people's smoking in the CBD by, let's say, 50 per cent, that would be a huge result."

She insisted the move wasn't about punishing smokers but about improving the amenity of the area for residents, workers, visitors and school children.

Ms Gibson expects the ban would be enforced through encouragement, not fines, because changing behaviour was at the heart of the proposal.

This could be the nation’s first CBD-wide smoking ban in a capital city. Picture: Morgan Sette/AAP

6:35am

Surprising discovery on plane ticket

A woman has complained on social media after a budget airline booked her into a seat that didn't exist.

The passenger, who is called Satwika Ika on social media, said the mix up happened on low cost Indonesia airline Lion Air.

She was supposed to fly from Palembang, an Indonesian city, to the capital, Jakarta.

But when Satwika got on the plane she had difficulty finding seat number 35F - and found that the seats only went up to number 34.

Satwika said that the stewardesses were rude and unhelpful and asked her to sit in one of the seats in row number 34.

She said she was then moved to yet another seat when another passenger turned up and claimed her seat.

The woman said that then a huge row started with the crew members.

She claims she was not the only one that had been assigned an imaginary seat, as a family along with a child were also searching for seats in row 35.

Satwika claims that she did not receive any apology from the airline employees.

After her social media post spread, the airline explained the seat confusion, reportedly stating that they needed to change the flight to a plane smaller than the first one, because of scheduling issues that had caused delays.